Humidity & instruments

The hygroscopy is a very complicated subject and the instruments which measure it must be evaluated by keeping this complexity in memory . It exist 5 big families of hygrometers.

1 / spring hygrometers. Metal is not the finest material to vary according to humidity, they are inoperative and their price is generally rather low, not without justification. A little as a broken watch which gives the exact hour 2 times by 24 H, it happens that their indication is right. These apparatuses are not adjustable.

2 / synthetic membrane hygrometers. The reaction of this materials is reliable and allows at a reasonable cost to obtain an instrument perfectly usable by cigar lovers. These apparatuses are generally adjustable and it is advised to adjust 2 times per annum (ex: the Credo analog hygrometer. For the calibration of the analog hygrometer, wrap it up in a wet cloth for half an hour. The pointer should indicate 94-96%. If this is not the case, readjust the instrument on the back with a screwdriver).

3 / Real hair hygrometers. You understood it, in this type of apparatus it is a true hair which is subjected to the moisture and which activates the pointer under the effect of its dilation. They are also precise instruments, adjustable but their price is much higher. One finds them generaly by opticians.

4 / digital hygrometers. Such as the Credo Thermo Hygrometer. These apparatuses have a good reliability, given by the manufacturer between ±5%. The response time of these apparatuses is rather slow: approximately 20 min. In the same way, strong hygrometrical variations are indicated with the same shift. This phenomenon does not harm their reliability. For the recalibration of such electronic hygrometer: to withdraw and replace the battery. (Settling time of the recalibration: 20 min.)

5 / Scientific digital hygrometers. These apparatuses of high degree of accuracy are generaly composed in 2 parts: a probe and the body of the apparatus with the display. They are very acurate with very fast speeds of reaction. Nevertheless, the specifications of the manufacturer announce between +ou-2% and +ou- 0,5%. Their cost varies between USD:150 and 1000. In fact, this kind of instruments offer a precision of which a cigar smoker does not have anything to do.

In a general way, it should be understood that according to the relativity of moisture, the measurement of the hygroscopy is difficult to grasp. An infallible method to know the exact rate of moisture inside a cigar humidor consists in installing a Credo humidifier in an air tight box. Let assemble 4 weeks until the cruising speed and note the guaranteed rate of 72 %, ± 2%. The proof brought by the Credo digital hygrometer is then the demonstration of the perfect operation of the 2 apparatuses.